Chapter 4

Anna cheered up quickly in Hans's company. They danced for a while, then took a break. She could feel herself word-vomiting as they talked, and at one point she even accidentally whacked him in the face while gesticulating wildly, but he didn't seem to mind at all. They went out to the garden for some air, which turned into Anna giving Hans a tour of the entire castle. She learned that he had 12 older brothers, and he shared about how he felt invisible throughout his childhood. Their upbringings had been very different, but Anna understood that feeling very well.

As they continued wandering the grounds and talking about their lives together, Anna realized no one had ever been this interested in her. She had desperately hoped on this day to meet someone with whom she might fall in love, and she glanced at Hans out of the corner of her eye, wondering if she could be lucky enough for this tall, handsome, refined prince to be the one.

"Okay, can I just say something crazy?" she blurted.

"I love crazy," said Hans, encouragingly. If true, that boded well for her, at least.

"All my life has been a series of doors in my face," she started, trying to explain the sudden feeling of hope bursting through her. "And then suddenly I bump into you…"

"I was thinking the same thing," Hans interrupted. "Because, like, I've been searching my whole life to find my own place, and maybe it's the party talking, or the chocolate fondue –"

"But with you –" Anna cut him off, excited.

"But with you," he echoed, locking eyes with her. "I've found my place. And it's nothing like I've ever known before. Love is an open door."

Anna started. He loved her? But his words bounced around her head and felt absolutely right. Love is an open door, she thought. And she had had enough of closed doors. She had spent her entire life waiting on one side of a door for someone she loved to open it and let her in. Hans said he would never shut her out, and she decided to believe him.

"Love is an open door…with you," she amended, smiling up at him. He lit up with excitement and spun her around. Unable to contain her own excitement, she danced and danced around with him, down the path, and to the drawbridge.

"I mean, it's crazy," Hans said.

"What?" asked Anna.

"We finish each other's –"

"Sandwiches!" Anna exclaimed, laughing.

"That's what I was going to say!" he improvised quickly.

"I've never met someone who thinks so much like me," she admitted.

"You and I were just meant to be," he said, and her heart soared.

"Say goodbye to the pain of the past," she sang as they continued to spin each other around. "We don't have to feel it anymore!" She raced ahead of him up the path to the waterfall. She couldn't wait to show him the viewpoint – she hadn't been up there in forever, but she remembered that her parents' guests had always loved to look out at the kingdom from underneath the falling water. She hoped Hans would love it too.

The moon shone down on the kingdom below them and she put her hands out to frame it. Hans placed his hands over hers in the shape of a heart, and she looked back at him. He was staring down at her, moonlight reflecting in his eyes.

"Life can be so much more with you," he said.

"Love is an open door," she repeated again.

"Can I say something crazy?" Hans asked, suddenly getting down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

It was a perfect moment. She looked out at her beautiful kingdom, then into his handsome, determined face and saw a whole future, full of open doors and love and laughter, unfurling before her. She knew it was fast, but she didn't want to let this opportunity for the life she wanted to slip away from her.

"Can I say something even crazier?" she responded. "Yes!"

He jumped up immediately, grinning with excitement and still gripping her hand tightly.

"We have to go tell the queen and make an official announcement!" he exclaimed, already running back down the path toward the castle. She ran along behind him, caught up in the excitement and joy of the moment as they raced back toward the party.

Anna moved as quickly as she could through the crowd of people, feeling Hans's hand on the small of her back urging her on.

"Oh there she is," she muttered, and shouted out Elsa's name before remembering how they had ended their last encounter. "I mean, Queen. Me again. Um. May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

"Your Majesty," Hans bowed, and Elsa curtseyed back.

"We would like –" Anna blurted.

"- Your blessing –" Hans interrupted.

"Of our marriage!" They finished together, gripping each other close and laughing. It took Anna a second to register that Elsa was not smiling.

"Marriage?" Elsa repeated.

"Yes!" Anna burst out happily, waiting for her sister to echo her happiness.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Elsa said, still not smiling.

"Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves," Anna said, feeling herself starting to blabber with nerves and excitement. "We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream, and then – Wait. Would we live here?"

"Here?" she dimly heard Elsa echo in a confused voice as she focused on Hans.

"Absolutely!" he said happily.

"Anna –" Elsa started, but Anna was too excited to stop.

"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to come stay with us!" she went on.

"What? No, no, no, no, no, no," Elsa protested.

"Of course we have the room," Anna smiled up at Hans, focused only on him.

"Wait, slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married," finally Elsa's sharp voice penetrated Anna's happy haze.

"Wait, what?" Anna looked at her sister.

"May I talk to you, please?" Elsa asked. "Alone."

"No," Anna said, putting a hand on Hans's arm. "Whatever you have to say, you- you can say to both of us." Hans had promised not to shut her out, and she wouldn't shut him out either. And anyway, she didn't care what Elsa had to say. She'd waited outside Elsa's closed door for long enough. It was Elsa's own fault that Anna had gone and found another door, one that was open. If Elsa didn't like that, it was her problem. Not Anna's.

"Fine," Elsa snapped. "You can't marry a man you just met."

"You can if it's true love," Anna snapped back.

"Anna, what do you know about true love?" Elsa asked, exasperated.

"More than you!" Anna protested. Love is an open door. "All you know is how to shut people out!"

Elsa recoiled at that, then gave a sad, tired sigh.

"You asked for my blessing," she said. "But my answer is no. Now, excuse me."

"Your Majesty," Hans tried to interject. "If I may ease your –"

"No, you may not," Elsa cut him off. "And I – I think you should go." She turned to a guard and instructed, "The party is over. Close the gates."

"What?" Anna cried. She could feel icy cold panic seeping through her body. "Elsa, no. No, wait!"

Anna ran after her sister, grabbing at her hand. She had to make Elsa understand. Elsa's glove came off in Anna's hand, and Elsa spun and demanded it back from Anna. But Anna held it away, needing Elsa to pay attention to her. Just for a second. Just so Anna could explain…

"Elsa, please," she begged. "Please! I can't live like this anymore!"

"Then leave," Elsa whispered, and Anna recoiled, feeling like she had had the wind knocked out of her. Elsa turned away from Anna again, and suddenly Anna could take it no longer.

"What did I ever do to you?" Anna begged, tears in her eyes. The party had gone quiet, and everyone was listening to them, but Anna was beyond caring.

"Enough, Anna," Elsa muttered, still walking away. Anna followed her, unable to bear the sharp, stinging cold of her sister's rejection anymore.

"No, why?" Anna insisted. "Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?"

"I said, enough!" Elsa yelled, losing control and spinning furiously around toward Anna, as actual spikes of sharp ice suddenly flew out from her ungloved hand. Anna instinctively jumped back to avoid being speared by the ice and her eyes met Elsa's over the top of the spikes. Elsa's eyes were wide and filled with fear, and focused only on Anna, looking her up and down to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Elsa…," Anna whispered, but Elsa had already turned away and fled.